The present invention relates generally to radiation spectrum generators and more specifically to portable radiation detector simulators for testing, servicing, and calibrating spectrometer circuits and radiation instruments. This invention is the result of a contract with the Department of Energy (Contract No. W-7405-ENG-36).
It is often inconvenient to use a radioactive source and detector to test or demonstrate a nuclear multichannel analyzer. Transportation regulations regarding the carrying of radioactive sources and the expense, fragility, and bulk of detectors combine to make it difficult to carry test sources and detectors into the field.
Furthermore, the cost of the radioactive source and detector is often excessive with respect to the immediate financial benefit of the test or demonstration of the nuclear multichannel analyzer.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for testing and demonstrating nuclear analyzers and other radiation instrumentation without the need for a radioactive source.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a low-cost portable radioactive source simulator for demonstrating, testing, and calibrating radiation instrumentation.